My Top Ten Favourite Debut Albums

Here is my current list of top 10 favourite albums, but, as I listen to so much music, this could change in the next….hour…minute.

• The Alarm – Declaration
• Angel Witch – Angel Witch
• Armoury Show – Waiting For The Floods
• Billy Talent – Billy Talent
• Delphic – Acolyte
• Enter Shikari – Take To The Skies
• Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden
• Marillion – Script For A Jesters Tear
• The Sisters Of Mercy – First And Last And Always
• Suede – Suede

Lets have some METTTTAAAAALLLLLLLLL!

I cant think of anything to blog about at the moment, so, let’s have  a bit of the heavy stuff!

Lamb Of God – Set To Fail

 

Machine Head – Descend The Shades Of Night

 

Slayer – Reign In Blood

 

Judas Priest – Painkiller

 

Dream Evil – The Book Of Heavy Metal

RetroBlog: Rockschool 1983

 

Way back in 1983 the BBC aired a series, Rockschool, which taught the basics of performing rock music and its various genres. It featured Geoff Nicholls on drums, Henry Thomas on Bass and Dierdre Cartwright (above) on lead guitar, along with interviews with leading musicians from the various genres covered.

There were nine episodes in the first series:

1. Introduction
2. Tuning
3. Technique
4. R&B and Blues
5. Heavy Metal
6. Funk
7. Reggae
8. Future
9. Special (Questions and Answers)

The BBC went on to produce a second series, which aired a few years later, and added a keyboard player (Alastair Gavin, I think). But it is the first series for which I had fondest memories.

If you want to check out the series a user on YouTube has uploaded the whole thing. http://www.youtube.com/user/joeeyeless

You may find that the first section of the episode on Heavy Metal is blocked. I think it’s the bit that has a clip of Motörhead. Well they did say that if they moved in next door your lawn would die!

Civil Civic – 1

Civil Civic have a new single out in July, check out the release here http://shop.civilcivic.com/. In the meantime you could do a lot worse than check out their debut EP, the economically titled “1”.

Track listing:

• Less Unless
• Baghdad Break
• C27
• E8-4AH
• Stacks ON

The EP can be checked out on Spotify – http://open.spotify.com/album/4AsMofBSF82KTbDoS4tuCW

Genre(s):

• Electronic
• Experimental
• Instrumental
• Indie Rock

 

Similar artists:

• Sunday Girl
• Eric Hlljes
• Foster the People
• Florrie
• The Selfish Replicators
• Young Empires

 

Further information:

@CivilCivic.blogspot.com – http://civilcivic.blogspot.com/

@Myspace – http://www.myspace.com/civilcivic

@Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/civilcivic

@Twitter – http://twitter.com/civilcivic

Nevermore – The Obsidian Conspiracy

I’ve just been checking out the new album, The Obsidian Conspiracy, by Nevermore. If you are not familiar with Nevermore then they are well worth checking out, particularly if you like your extreme music progressive. The band don’t really fit into any particular genre of extreme music as, to me, they sound totally trans-genre. My, oh my, can this band play!

Track listing:

1. The Termination Proclamation
2. Your Poison Throne
3. Moonrise (Through Mirrors of Death)
4. And the Maiden Spoke
5. Emptiness Unobstructed
6. The Blue Marble and the New Soul
7. Without Morals
8. The Day You Built the Wall
9. She Comes in Colors
10. The Obsidian Conspiracy

Listen at Spotify – http://open.spotify.com/album/7j7tAsWboyxgxEXzaFC41p

Let’s check a bit of Jeff getting all shreadtastic at Musikmesse Frankfurt 2010. Cool!

 

 

Reviewed at:

AngryMetalGuy – http://www.angrymetalguy.com/nevermore-the-obsidian-conspiracy-review/

Sputnik Music – http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?albumid=53432

Bloody Disgusting – http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/music/723

The New Review – http://thenewreview.net/reviews/nevermore-the-obsidian-conspiracy

Danger Dog – http://www.dangerdog.com/2010-music-reviews/nevermore-the-obsidian-conspiracy-review.php

 

Genre(s):

• Progressive Metal
• Heavy Metal
• Trans-genre

 

Similar artists:

• None!

 

Further info:

@MySpace – http://www.myspace.com/nevermorefans

@Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nevermore-band/34097738619?ref=ts

@Twitter – http://twitter.com/nevermoreband

@Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevermore

@JeffLoomis.com – http://www.jeffloomis.com/

Decibel: The Top 5 Swedish Black Metal Albums

There I was, looking for a Top/Best of list to post on the blog today, and when I looked in the mailbox things got a whole lot easier when I discovered that my, just delivered, Decibel issue 69 contained a Top 5 Swedish Black Metal Albums list. So here is is:

1. Bathory – Under The Sign Of The Black Mark (1987, Black Mark) 
   http://open.spotify.com/album/450O7sJi2GTzmLqHS03T88
2. Marduk – Opus Nocturne (1994, Osmose) 
   http://open.spotify.com/album/3WzQRdfVSIZSHHCfPms7yp
3. Watain – Sworn to the Dark (2007, Anja Offensive)
   http://open.spotify.com/album/2u7QjILVE7YyD5oe0ZJj1i
4. Satanic Slaughter – Satanic Slaughter (1995, Necropolis)
5. Setherial – Nord (1995, Napalm)
   http://open.spotify.com/album/3tW5MRw33vfQ19FV0HJZoU

I managed to find all the above, except Satanic Slaughter’s debut, on Spotify.

Can – Tago Mago

Track listing:

1. Paperhouse
2. Mushroom
3. Oh Yeah
4. Halleluhwah
5. Aumgn
6. Peking O
7. Bring Me Coffee or Tea

I’ve never given Can’s album, Tago Mago, a proper listen. However, that was rectified over the weekend when the wife suggested that we give it a listen while we hung out in the lounge. Of course, me being me, tried to go one better and I put together a list of albums that also contained one each from bands that are similar in some way to Can. Here is the playlist I put together on Spotify – http://open.spotify.com/user/toxicmusic79/playlist/76xJALdw4Md33veFrixgg4

More information about Can, can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can_(band)

Human Life – In It Together

I’ve just been checking out the new Human Life single, In It Together, on Spotify, and I must say it is a very enjoyable listen. Makes me want to fix up disco lighting, and a dry ice machine, in the lounge.

If you have Spotify, you can listen to the single, plus all the remixes here – http://open.spotify.com/album/0yyLUuQiESKJ233J026DkO

 

Further information:

• http://www.myspace.com/humanlifedjs

Similar Artists:

• Florrie
• BARRETSO
• Dirty Super Car
• NightWaves
• Euphorie
• Silicone Project
• Richie Beretta
• Jason Sundstrom
• Justin Faust
• Bit Funk

Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage

Especially owing to my current status as a probationary Canadian, it’s good to see one of the ‘local’ bands getting the recognition that they deserve. http://www.alliancefilms.com/en/89/details/display/12402/

Plus, I love Rush. I’ve loved them since a friend played me 2112 way back in the ‘70s.

I know I will be checking out this movie when it comes to Halifax (Nova Scotia) next weekend, for a 2 night run at the Empire. http://www.empiretheatres.com/movie/rush-beyond-lighted-stage

For those unfamiliar with the band, just the following list of studio albums will give some idea of their longevity:

• Rush (1974)
• Fly by Night (1975)
• Caress of Steel (1975)
• 2112 (1976)
• A Farewell to Kings (1977)
• Hemispheres (1978)
• Permanent Waves (1980)
• Moving Pictures (1981)
• Signals (1982)
• Grace Under Pressure (1984)
• Power Windows (1985)
• Hold Your Fire (1987)
• Presto (1989)
• Roll the Bones (1991)
• Counterparts (1993)
• Test for Echo (1996)
• Vapor Trails (2002)
• Snakes & Arrows (2007)
• Clockwork Angels (2011)

Here is a super-play list of the 18 released studio albums care of Spotify – http://open.spotify.com/user/toxicmusic79/playlist/33s6jyepkX23qfqLI5jfRi

And, for you young tykes, here is a list of more ‘recent’ similar artists (well they have been going a while):

• Dream Theater
• Spock’s Beard
• Marillion
• Porcupine Tree
• Transatlantic
• The Flower Kings
• King’s X

Take it away RUSH!

Albums Of The Month – June 2010

I was looking through my June issues for the music magazines that I subscribe to, at the moment (Revolver / Rock Sound / Terrorizer), and thought it would be fun to post a list of the albums from their June reviews that either got the top spot* or scored 9+. Here is the resulting list (where possible I have hyperlinked to the album on Spotify).

• Revolver
  • Watain – Lawless Darkness*
  • Abscess – Dawn Of Inhumanity
  • Bestial Mockery – Christcrushing Hammerchainsaw
  • Laethora – The Light In Which We All Burn
  • Nachtmystium – Addicts: Black Meddle Part II
• Rock Sound
  • The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang*
  • Blacklist Royals – Semper Liberi
  • Against Me! – White Crosses
  • Four Year Strong – Enemy Of The World
  • Off With Their Heads – In Desolation
  • Kingdom Of Sorrow – Behind The Blackest Tears
  • Lavotchkin – Widow Country
  • Melvins – The Bride Screamed Murder
  • This Is Hell – Weight Of The World
• Terrorizer
  • Watain – Lawless Darkness*
  • Mike Patton – Mondo Cane
  • Ondskapt – Arisen From The Ashes
  • Twilight – Monument To Time End